Sliding Doors
by Sarandipity
Summary: There are two lives Max could have choosen, the one with the perpetual wish of her siblings, and the other of a normal life. Inspired by the movie. ML & MZ.
1. Prologue

_**Sliding Doors**_

**Prologue**

"You're a complete idiot."

She moved away from the table, throwing out her lunch and growing weary of the thousand suggestions her dear friend Calvin insinuated onto her. This is what she received when she offered one helping hand to his unfortunate habit of getting into trouble, if it was the mafia or his poor girlfriend, Natalie. But even if he wasn't blood, she couldn't help herself to offer her services. But the suggestion he made was unconceivable, and not to mention degrading.

"Come on, Max. It's the perfect way to make some dough and offer services to other poor individuals like me." He jumped over the rail and hunched back against it. His pessimistic nature was starting to creep onto Max's temper.

"What can I say, Sketchy? That I'm so wonderfully happy that you thought of me first to strip at that sleazy bar? That I'm overwhelmed with joy to help sorry individuals like you for a late night job?" Max didn't have to say anything else to view her point. All she needed to do was push Sketchy into the garbage can, which she did successfully. Max sighed in relief of getting him off her back with the most inappropriate job offer, but she had to admit it wasn't the first time.

Max approached her lockers, quickly solving her lock, and opening her rusty compartment to take out her lunch. It was thanksgiving leftovers from Kendra's family, a great turkey sandwich with the bread soaked in gravy. Max's mouth was watering instantly thinking about that turkey sandwich. It almost made her day, just this small tiny sandwich. Not like turkey was hard to come by these days. Chickens was different, they were snatched at the market before Max could ever get her hands on them. But turkeys ran wild around the outskirts of Seattle, thus easy to get one on such an American holiday, even if Max hated everything about America.

She slammed her locker shut and crossed Jam Pony as if she owned the place and went back to her table, where her girl, Original Cindy was kicking it. She sat down and with admiration in her wild eyes, took out the delicious sandwich.

"So I was with my boo, and talk about holiday dysfunction, tells me that she's never been a lesbian, and was sleeping with her roommate, Ralph, the whole time we've been together. Do you know what I did to that bitch? I busted her face with my fist, not like she had a pretty face now I look back…but it just ruins the holiday, and my damn manicure. Pissed me off, I had to leave." Cindy slammed her foot on the ground, still cooling off from her holiday. Unlike Max, Cindy had someplace to go this year, a family member or a partner. But unlike Cindy, Max found a bottle of pure Vodka at the market and celebrated with some bang.

"You know, you've been having many problems with the same sex…you know…you could always…" Sketchy began, swallowing hard, trying to come to his suggestion quietly as he opened his can of soda.

"Always what? If you're asking what I think you're asking, you're more fucked up than I realized. What happened? Did you're mama drop you on your cranium when you were a tot or something…" Cindy shut her mouth before she could upset anyone else. Sketchy, forgiving as always let the insult run over like water. But before Cindy could even apologize for her rage, one of Jam Pony's best pushed into Sketchy. Before Max could pick up her sandwich, Sketchy dropped his soda and it fell onto the table, soaking Cindy's and Max's sandwiches with the horrible liquid.

"Damn it, Sketchy!" Cindy stood up before the soda hit her clothes. Max was obliviously soaked in sugary liquid, and so was her beautiful, delicious sandwich.

"Come on!" Max complained as she saw her day go down the perpetual drain. She sighed as she picked up her soaked bag and sandwich and threw it out, along with Cindy's lunch.

"Boy, I should slap you." Cindy around and started the trash her arms against him.

"Max…oww…Max…get her off of me!" Sketchy tried to protect himself but ended getting kicked in the shin by Cindy's steel toed boots.

"If you didn't ruin my turkey sandwich, maybe I would have saved you ass." Max quipped, sighing and leaning against the wall, watching Cindy take all her anger out on the poor guy before Herbal stopped them both.

"What is going on over here?" Normal walked over, and like always, with packages in his hand, and sorted them out to all of them. Cindy threw back her package, and Normal dropped a few from his arms just to catch that one.

Cindy stepped back and took a time to reflect. "Normal, I need a lunch break. So does Max. The idiot in resident ruined our lunches."

"Eat on your own time, I got hot runs." Normal growled.

"Normal, we are going out on a lunch break, we will be back after we eat. You owe us that much for what we do, and how much we put up with." Cindy put on her jacket and grabbed her bag. Max did the same and they both left, ignoring the calls from Normal if they went they would loose their jobs.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Sketchy jumped down the stairs and ran after them.

Normal grunted as he turned around and annoyed screamed: "Come on you lazy asses, there are packages that need to get delivered!"


	2. Chapter 1a: Got Milk?

Chapter 1

_**Sliding Doors**_

**Chapter 1: Got Milk?**

Max, Cindy, and Sketchy ran into each other only a few minutes after leaving Jam Pony, a ill mistake for Sketchy who almost gotten his ass beaten by Cindy. Cindy ignored his poor claims of apology by placing a hand between them both.

"You better shut your trap before I shut it for you." Cindy declared. Sketchy stood blank and finally shut his jaw and continued to walk with them. "Girl, you've been quiet today, what's up?" Cindy unselfishly asked Max.

"That sandwich made my day and now it's gone." Cindy laughed. That was Max, always disappointed by the smallest things in her life. Cindy just didn't know that Max existed for all the smaller things in life, all the things people take advantage for like turkey sandwiches and lunch breaks. Of course, after the pulse, people realized how much they took things for granted, but not as much as Max did. Sadly, no one knew that about Max, and that's how things were going to stay.

"Girl, we will find you a turkey for Christmas." Cindy dismissed it as they took a turn towards the near by café only a few blocks away from Jam Pony's headquarters.

Max looked into the distance and saw a man get scrapped around for the lack of cash, probably a bill or loan collector. She didn't want to ignore it, but she did, turning around and walking in the same direction as Cindy.

"I hate the world today." Cindy grunted at the sight of the defenseless getting scrapped around.

"You know what I've haven't had in a long time, Mac and Cheese." Sketchy's mouth watered as he dreamt about the amazing meals he had when he was younger.

"Wow…I haven't heard of that in a while." Max haven't heard of such a thing, even if she was questionable about it, she kept her mouth close and acted as a normal person, who had Mac and Cheese every day with a glass of Tang. Unfortunately, Max assumed it was a breakfast meal. Good she kept her mouth close.

They came to the shack, where the two old Asian couple worked hard at the skillet, making the orders as soon as they could. They all sat down at the table, as one of their adult daughters came over with a smile.

"Anything in mind?" She asked, taking a scrap of paper and filed down pencil in her hand.

"Fried rice?" Cindy asked. She nodded and wrote it down. In this time, you had to ask what they had, or you might be asking for something that they couldn't afford and possibly be insulting them and their status. Max didn't dare ask for turkey or chicken because she knew the old couple couldn't afford it, especially since all of them knew they had their own debts they had to take care of.

"I'll have some noodles…you think you guys have soda?" The woman gave a quick wink and scribbled it down.

Max, hearing vibrations in her ear, pulled out her hat and stuck it on her head. She looked up, occupied with panic, looked up at the woman. "Yeah, I'll have noodles too. With some milk." Max said, her leg shaking violently, not in her moments of low serotonin, but in dread as the hoverdrone passed through the street.

The woman walked away and gave the order to her mother. Cindy sat preoccupied with her nails, ignoring Max's weird taste in beverage.

"So…" Sketchy banged on the table, trying to get any conversation started for his amusement. "How was your thanksgiving, Max?"

"Sketchy…" Max warned as she took her hat off and ran her fingers through her untamed locks of black. She sighed, reliving her horrible stress. Somehow this week has been horrible in her nerves, partly because she hasn't been able to ride her baby due to the fact that gasoline was scarce and expensive. So her nights have been spent in her room, in dept thought, trying to get to sleep.

"You know, I know this woman who sells Prozac at a reasonable cost." Sketchy offered. Max grunted in anger.

"Sketchy, I'm not depressed." Cindy turned away from her nails and looked at Max, eyeing her up and down.

"You know, maybe Sketchy is right. Maybe you are depressed." Cindy insinuated. Max gave a sour laugh and looked at her fingernails in return. "I mean it could be the reason why you're always quiet and moody as well when something small happens."

"That sandwich wasn't small, it was delicious. Anyone would feel the same about Kendra's sandwiches." Max complained in her own defense.

"I'm just saying you haven't been yourself lately." Cindy reminded her. Max rolled her eyes and looked at the platter of noodles and glass of milk that was placed in front of her.

"Cindy, who isn't depressed in this day and age?" Cindy shrugged and concentrated on her food, while Max carefully sipped her milk, ignoring the eyes that were laid on her across the table. The last thing she needed was another guy, crashing at her crib and stealing her liquor.

"Maybe a job at that bar could put your frown upside down?" Sketchy attempted again. Max threw her hand pack and pushed Sketchy off his chair and landed flat on his back on the muddy ground. Cindy pointed and laughed while Max went on like nothing happened. After she was done with her milk, the Asian woman came back with another glass of milk.

"I didn't…" Max began as she placed it next to her empty glass.

"The guy across from you ordered it for you." She gave a quick wink before heading back to the stove. Cindy smiled at her and all three of them turned their heads and examined the guy at the end of the island. "Great…" Max muttered. She examined him, broad shoulders, sharp chin, dark eyes, and clean blonde hair. Unlike other girls, Max wasn't amused at all, though she played a good game at it.

She stood up, giving a girlish smile at him and never breaking eye contact, she walked over to the end of the island. He had a smile on his face himself. As she looks back on it, it wasn't such a bad smile either. Almost sweet in fact. A boyish smile. But it went over her head then, and when she approached him, he expected some sort of thank you or some doting approval. Instead, her smile disappeared, and caught unexpected with a empty glass over his head and white liquid running down his clothes.

She pounded the glass on the island and whipped around, "No." Max declared. She walked back to her plate, Cindy in hysterics and Sketchy frowning on the poor guy. She finished the last drop of her own glass of milk and gave the untouched noodles to Sketchy. Suddenly she didn't feel hungry anymore.

She headed back to work, slowly walking through the crowd. She tried to get lost in first, but she finally accepts the feeling of someone following her, even though her attempts of loosing him had failed…somehow. She turned around, annoyed and displeased, to come crashing into that boyish smile.

"What the hell do you want?" Max observed him, soaking wet jacket and shirt, still joyously smiling at her with unknown affection.

"Look, I want to apologize." His eyes feel dotingly onto her, she looked at him, first freaked out by the sudden affection, and then she took a step back.

"It's okay, just leave me alone." She fell silent, unknowingly, and walked away from him. His hand found her arm and softly turned her back towards him. She didn't fight it, she found it questionable why he was trying this hard.

"Let me make it up to you." Max had to laugh at his statement. After all, she was the one who poured milk all over his jacket and shirt, and probably wouldn't get the smell of curdled milk out for a while. It should be her making it up to him.

His grin grew wider as he heard her smile. He took his arm off of her, and watched her face glow with humor. It was quite a lovely sight for him.

"Look, let me buy you dinner tonight." Max's smile disappeared and shook her head.

"You should leave me alone before you loose a body part." Max quipped. She tried to leave but he found her arm again, pulling her pack. "Let go of me." Max warned him.

"Not until I get you to say yes." He persisted.

"No." His smile disappeared before he knew it. Obviously, she wasn't like other girls who almost fell over him to get him to ask that holy question of a date. She walked away, with this moody passion inside of her that made him so curious of it. Obviously, he'll need to know all about her before he could make his move.

_(Next chapter will be M/L, and it is still in the process of getting done. Obviously, who know who that was so there is no spoiling. Reviews are well apperciated and keep me writing.)_


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